Search This Blog

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

The Mysterious Lady (1928)

A Captain (Conrad Nagel) in the German army falls under the spell of a Russian seductress (Greta Garbo). They fall in love but it is only later that he discovers she is spy for the Russian government and when she steals secret plans from him, he is declared a traitor and sent to prison. Based on the novel WAR IN THE DARK by Ludwig Wolff and directed by Fred Niblo (1925's BEN-HUR). Ah, the divine Garbo! One of the great faces in cinema history. This romantic spy drama isn't one of Garbo's best vehicles but it's enough to bathe in her extraordinary presence and star power which is in full display here. She more than makes up for the lump that is Conrad Nagel. The print that I saw had a marvelous score by Vivek Maddala which only accentuates how important music is to silent cinema. With Gustav von Seyffertitz.